Milton R. Gunther was born in Englewood Hospital, Englewood, NJ on July 23, 1920. He passed away on December 29, 2015 at the Hampton VA Medical Center Palliative Care Unit. He was 95 years old. Milton was brought up in Cresskill, NJ and graduated from Tenafly High School Tenafly, NJ in 1939. He attended Stevens Tech, an engineering college, in New Jersey.
A member of the greatest generation, he was called to active duty with the Army Air Corp's Cadet/Pilot training program in October of 1942. He became a B-17 pilot and was sent to England to join the 839th Squadron of the 487th Heavy Bomber Group of the Mighty Eighth Army Air Corps in July of 1944. He flew 23 bombing missions to include the Battle of the Bulge, the Battle of Northern France, and numerous missions deep into Nazi Germany.
When the war ended in Europe, he received orders to go to the Pacific Theatre. Those orders were canceled as the war ended there while he was home on leave. After his discharge, he joined the reserves and continued to serve. In 1948, he embarked on a career with the Federal Aviation Administration, first as a traffic controller, then as an Inspector/Pilot for thirty-two years. He was called to active duty for the war in Korea and retired from the reserves as a Lt Colonel.
Milton was preceded in death by his parents, Eva and Rudolf Gunther, his daughter Carol Lynn, and his first wife and high school sweetheart, Leonora.
He is survived by his wife Marilyn, sons Milton (Elizabeth), Karl (Anne), his sister Pearl (Werner), three grandchildren, nine great grandchildren, four step children and three step grandchildren.
There will be a graveside service at 11:00 AM on January 7, 2016 at the Albert G. Horton Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Suffolk, VA with full military honors. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum, PO Box 1992 Savannah, GA 31402.
The family would like to thank the wonderful people of Heath Village Retirement Community of Hackettstown NJ, The Devonshire Retirement Community of Hampton VA, and the staff and medical personnel of the VA Medical Center Palliative Care Unit.
Arrangements are by R. Hayden Smith Funeral Home in Hampton, 757-723-3191.